You plan to move to the Philippines? Wollen Sie auf den Philippinen leben?

There are REALLY TONS of websites telling us how, why, maybe why not and when you'll be able to move to the Philippines. I only love to tell and explain some things "between the lines". Enjoy reading, be informed, have fun and be entertained too!

Ja, es gibt tonnenweise Webseiten, die Ihnen sagen wie, warum, vielleicht warum nicht und wann Sie am besten auf die Philippinen auswandern könnten. Ich möchte Ihnen in Zukunft "zwischen den Zeilen" einige zusätzlichen Dinge berichten und erzählen. Viel Spass beim Lesen und Gute Unterhaltung!


Visitors of germanexpatinthephilippines/Besucher dieser Webseite.Ich liebe meine Flaggensammlung!

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Showing posts with label Heneral Luna. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Heneral Luna. Show all posts

Thursday, October 15, 2015

Why can't we have this stuff on TV?

Why can’t we have this stuff on TV?

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John Arcilla plays the title role in the box-office hit Heneral Luna
MANILA, Philippines - ‘The positive acceptance of Heneral Luna throws a gauntlet on the stage of the entertainment world. The Filipino audience is not intelligence-challenged. It’s time to raise the ante by offering them films and TV dramas that engage them emotionally and intelligently. And who knows, by igniting their brain synapses more frequently, they may start thinking and making decisions with greater discernment, such as in selecting our future leaders.’
When people I knew peppered me with glowing notices and exultant reviews about the film Heneral Luna, I was very skeptical. My past experience tells me that when a Filipino indie film is overly praised, it will turn out to be a big disappointment. I can’t recall how many times I have fidgeted in my seat and even walked out early in the movie. So finally, when I went to see Heneral Luna, I was prepared to be disappointed.
Lo and behold, I sat through the entire movie, without fidgeting. Not only that, I came out of the theater with my hopes raised high regarding the future of Filipino films. The last time I felt this way was when I saw English Only Please. But this time, I felt moved to root for Pinoy filmmakers.
This is a rare film by a Filipino team of filmmakers that knows how to tell its story visually. From script to characterization, production design, lighting, sound and cinematography, I tip my hat off to the director and his team. From the perspective of a film director like myself, I pronounce it as a superbly crafted work. I may quibble with minor details but they are minor and can be overlooked. In short, over all, it’s an unqualified success. Huwag sanang masayang ang talent niya sa pagtanggap na mag-direct ng mga teleseryes.
I am happy to learn from news reports that Heneral Luna has reached over the P200M mark in gate receipts. This should help the producers recover the cost of making it. I am happy for them and I only wish more producers will be encouraged to take risks on films with meaningful topics or subjects.
With the undeniable box-office success of Heneral Luna, who can now categorically say that the Filipino viewer is not ready to see works of this kind? It flies in the face of what major TV network programming executives in effect have been telling their creative teams: Dumb it down, cater it to the taste of themasa, the so-called “bakya” crowd. I have always believed that there are no “bakya” audiences, only “bakya” producers.
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Which brings me to my next point. Why can’t we have similar intelligent fare on television?
TV networks want to play it safe so their choice of content is limited to komik soap opera stories which they believe will maketeleseryes appealing to the masa, and sustain their audience ratings. So what televiewers get is more of the usual: A beautiful lass and her ugly alalay, fair-skinned protagonist versus dark-skinned rival, cliché plotting, sketchy caricaturing of characters, raising-an-eyebrow-and-pouting school of acting, the expected servings of slapping from time to time, sabunutan, the exchange of mahanghang na salita (all of which I am still seeing inteleseryes as recently as yesterday). I have also observed that problems are solved by the young, who seem to know better than their adult mature elders. Why rock the boat and raise the ante? Why try the untried? Why bother coming up with more intelligent fare and lose the ratings game? So let’s just continue feeding them the same old junk content.
Now, our political analysts and commentators don’t have to wonder why our electorate does not make intelligent choices in picking our leaders.
This is probably a long shot but I am hereby proposing another type of teleserye, wherein we dramatize selected and well-known Filipino classic literary works (novels and short stories) by famous Filipino writers such as Nick Joaquin, F. Sionil Jose, Bienvenido Santos, Wilfredo Nolledo, Kerima Polotan, Estrella Alfon, Edgardo Reyes, Rogelio Sikat, Efren Abueg, just to name a few who are at the top of my memory-challenged mind right now. So many great Filipino novels are languishing on shelves of libraries:Dugo sa Bukang Liwayway, Ang Mundong Ito Ay Lupa, The PretendersVilla MagdalenaPoonWoman Who Had Two Navels, The Bamboo Dancers and more. And for crying out loud, why not adapt award-winning Palanca plays, many of which have never been staged or produced? 
Maybe we can dramatize each story to run for a few weeks or months, but let the program be flexible, basing it on the natural and logical progress of the adapted story.
I am sure having a drama program like this will go a long way in bringing these masterpieces to a wider audience, or the new generation, who I understand have been shunning reading these works in favor of handheld mobile devices.
Why not? I’ve been there and I’ve done it decades ago, at ABS-CBN under the late Genny Lopez during the old pre-Martial Law days. The big guns of ABS-CBN then were Jun Hizon, Jimmy Navarro, Ben Aniceto and Frankie Evangelista. I was given the opportunity to direct a program called Obra Maestra, which served as a window or a vehicle for world masterpieces and Filipino literary classics adapted and made accessible to Filipino TV viewers. I remember we dramatized such works as Rashomon, Wuthering HeightsThe Visit by Durenmatt, Medea and others. Our acting talents then included Charito Solis, Vic Silayan, Dindo Fernando, Ronald Remy, Nestor de Villa, Nida Blanca, Armando Goyena, Tony Santos Sr. and other greats.
Mind you, that program enjoyed high audience ratings. That was because we did not present them as literary masterpieces to be treated with awe and reverence. Rather, we focused on the stories. That was the key. Ignore the fact that they were written by literary serious artists. Just zero in on the fact that these works have the elements of great and compelling storytelling. Isn’t that what makes any work appealing?
So in conclusion, the positive acceptance of Heneral Luna throws a gauntlet on the stage of the entertainment world. The Filipino audience is not intelligence-challenged. It’s time to raise the ante by offering them films and TV dramas that engage them emotionally and intelligently. And who knows, by igniting their brain synapses more frequently, they may start thinking and making decisions with greater discernment, such as in selecting our future leaders. It could be the key to the bright future we’ve all been wishing for.

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

'Heneral Luna" is Philippines' Entry to Oscars 2016

 (The Philippine Star) 

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John Arcilla stars as Antonio Luna in the film ‘Heneral Luna.’
MANILA, Philippines - Heneral Luna has just been chosen as the Philippines’ official submission to the Best Foreign Language Film category of next year’s Oscars.
Directed by Jerrold Tarog, the historical biopic with John Arcilla playing the titular role as Gen. Antonio Luna, has been reaping rave reviews for its unblinking depiction of Luna’s vital role in Philippine history somewhat contrary to the accounts in Philippine history books.
Asked for a reaction regarding the latest development, Arcilla said that it’s a “self-recognition” for the country that it’s capable of making films like Heneral Luna. “The support and reaction of the people who have seen the film speaks for itself. It’s proof that Pinoys have realized that they deserve good films.”
“I’m happy for us Filipinos,” he said, “and I’m happy for Antonio Luna because we were able to shed life on his story 120 years after his death.”
In an earlier interview, Arcilla said that the film — set during the Philippine-American war — covers the period from the time Gen. Luna was assigned to be the head of the revolutionary army as general in the Philippines to his assassination. Arcilla said that the film producers and cast members like himself are ready for the long and intense Oscar campaign ahead so that they can make the final cut.  
Heneral Luna is now showing in cinemas on its second week. Last week, an online clamor erupted following news that the number of theaters playing the film was reduced to 41 after it opened last Sept. 9 in 101 cinemas.
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Arcilla happily noted that thanks to word of mouth and wellspring of support online, more theaters have now accommodated the film, now numbering to 70 nationwide.